


Game Change

by LtTanyaBoone



Category: Pan Am
Genre: F/M, Future Fic, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-12-10
Updated: 2012-12-10
Packaged: 2017-11-21 09:22:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,378
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/596101
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LtTanyaBoone/pseuds/LtTanyaBoone
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A mission goes wrong and Richard tries to make up for it.<b></b></p>
            </blockquote>





	Game Change

**Disclaimers:** Pan Am, the rights to the show and its characters do not belong to me. No money was made by this.  
 **Spoilers:** everything  
 **Pairings:** (past?) Kate/Niko

* * *

Kate shook her head as Richard held open the door to the pub to her. Surprisingly, when she passed him, she didn't feel his hand settle on her waist for a change. They had been in London for almost two weeks now, trying to catch their breaths after a butchered mission in Czechoslovakia. The ride over the East German border had been a rather unpleasant one, and Kate winced as she sat down at the bar, her hip complaining after the bumpy ride in the trunk of the car.

"I'll have a beer." Richard order himself, giving Kate a questioning look that made her eyebrows shoot up. What was going on with him? They had been posing as a married couple at the hotel, waiting for things to cool down so that they could return back to Czechoslovakia via Switzerland and Austria and he had gone out of his way to keep their cover intact, touching her frequently, sharing fake kisses, ordering for her. Now he was acting like they were shallow aquaintances and the sudden change in behavior made Kate wonder what on earth was going on now.

"Same for me." Kate told the bartender, ignoring the surprise on Richard's face. It wasn't her fault he usually took her to fancy parties where a woman with a tall glass of beer would be frowned upon. They were in a pub now, and Kate wasn't about to pass up the opportunity to drink something other than red dry wine for a change.

"Up for a game?" Richard asked her after a few moments of silence. Kate followed his gaze to the pool tables. Instantly, she remembered the day three years ago, before the departure of her sister's first Around-the-world flight. She had recommended this pub to Niko, praising it as a great place for billiards. How she hadn't immediately thought of this when she'd heard Richard give the address to the cab driver was beyond her.

"Sure." she shrugged, hoping that he hadn't caught her change in mood. That he knew she could play wasn't much of a surprise, he knew how she had caught Niko after all, and used the ability on a few other occasions, too. But Richard playing billiards was a strange sight and when he made his first shot, Kate almost laughed out loud. She was pretty sure that he had little idea of what he was supposed to do, beyond "hit the white ball with the stick and hope some others end up in the holes". But that only led her to believe that he was trying to cheer her up, which only pulled her mood down even further. For Richard to attempt to lift her spirits, things must be really bad.

Kate decided to go easy on him for a change. Her anger at him had vanished somewhere between Paris and Dover and she had realized that it hadn't just been her life on the line when he had slipped up and called her by her real name.

"Re-match?" Richard asked, emptying his beer as Kate sunk the eight ball into the pocket, straightening with a soft smile. She raised an eyebrow at her companion.

"You really are a sucker for punishment, aren't you?" she asked, tilting her head before she glanced at the table again. Most of the full balls were still on the table, Richard had apparently preferred helping her win by accidentally knocking her balls into the pockets instead of his own.

"Apparently." the CIA agent nodded, his eyes flickering over her shoulder. "But perhaps you'd like another partner. Someone who'd provide more of a challenge." he said, nodding. Kate furrowed her brows before turning to see who he was looking at. Her grip around the queue slackened and the stick fell to the floor with a loud clatter as she pressed a hand over her mouth in shock.

Niko smiled at her, unsure at first, but when he saw her reaction, it turned into a full blown grin and he extended his arms in silent invitation. Kate hurried over to him, wrapping her arms around the man and holding on tightly. She felt Niko's hand cradle her head as his other wrapped around her waist, pulling her against him.

"How?" Kate breathed as she leaned back, shaking her head at the fact that he was here, in London. That he was alive and well and with her.

"Did you think we went to Czechoslovakia to admire the countryside?" Richard asked her as he stepped up behind her, giving Niko a curt nod. Kate blinked at her colleague in confusion, furrowing her brows. "We were there to pick him up, but... that didn't really work out." Parks shrugged. "Someone else got him for us."

Kate blinked again, looking up at Niko. The laugh lines around his eyes deepened as he smiled down at her. "Does that mean that you, you don't have to return?"

Niko shook his head, stroking her cheek gently and Kate's eyes fluttered shut as she leaned into the touch.

"No, I don't have to return." he confirmed. Kate pressed her lips together to stop herself from sobbing, instead she wrapped her arms tighter around him and rested her head against his chest, inhaling his scent. "It would probably not be helpful to my health, actually." Niko added with a soft chuckle, running his hand over her hair.

"What are you going to do now?" Kate asked him softly, taking a step back from him and wiping at the tears on her face. Niko held out a handkerchief for her and she took it thankfully.

"I don't know." he admitted, glancing at her almost shyly. "I was thinking of returning to the States. New York has some pretty amazing sights that I have missed a lot, these past few years." Niko said, searching her face. Kate felt her lips tug upwards in a soft smile.

"In that case, I'd be very happy to show you around. Some things have changed, you might want a tour guide." she responded, catching sight of Richard out of the corner of her eye. He seemed to be paying for their drinks from earlier.

"I wouldn't want to steal you away from... other engagements you might have." Niko frowned, causing her to laugh as Kate shook her head.

"No other engagements. No jealous boyfriend, either. Unless you count him, and I think the CIA should be rather happy to let me spent some time with you. It would only be fair, given what they put you through." she said, feeling relieved when the smile returned to Niko's face.

"That does sound like a good plan." he allowed with a nod. Kate smiled at him, unable to resist.

"What do you say to a game of billiards?" she asked him, raising an eyebrow in challenge.

"Oh, I haven't had one of these in a while. I think I might be a bit rusty." he told her, following her back to the table she had been playing at with Richard earlier.

"That''s too bad. I remember the way you played when you weren't rusty, you didn't even have a chance then. Perhaps darts would be more to your liking?" the redhead teased.

"Oh, now you're on." Niko laughed, starting to line up the balls. Kate watched him briefly before she looked up, finding Richard by the door. The CIA agent tilted his head and Kate nodded at him, watching him step out of the pub and onto the busy street, vanishing into the crowd.

"Kate?" Niko's voice yanked her attention back to him and she looked at him in question. He was holding out a queue for her. "Are you okay?" Niko asked carefully and Kate nodded quickly.

"Yes. Just, lost in thought for a moment." she told him, accepting the queue from him and breaking up the balls. When she straightened again, she drew a deep breath, deciding that she could worry about everything later. Right now she was just going to be happy that Niko was back, back and safe with her.

 _fin._


End file.
